At least 50% of the work that any Medical Spa practitioner does comes down to this:
Sun Damage Repair
Sunlight brings life to our beautiful planet, and we all sense this when we feel the blissful warmth of summer rays land on our skin. Remember, however, that our skin is our protective shield. It not only serves as a barrier between our inner biology and the physical externalities that might do us harm, but it also protects us from light waves.
But your skin pays a price
UV rays from the sun penetrate your skin cells – (UVB rays primarily hit the epidermis, causing sunburn and other surface damage, and UVA rays penetrate and damage the deeper layers.)
When we talk about the damage done by UV rays, we’re referring to a few different things.
The Impact of UV Rays
Most people are familiar with the fact that UV rays can harm your DNA by causing mutations. These mutations can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and, ultimately, skin cancers. Fewer people are aware that UV radiation can also generate what’s known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which can cause even further damage inside the cells.
Reactive Oxygen Species are produced naturally as a part of cellular metabolism, but an excessive proliferation of them can lead to oxidative stress, and the damage of DNA, proteins, and lipids, which in turn can lead to a variety of diseases.
Most of the time, sun damage is superficial, or cosmetic. Our skin becomes less capable of producing the molecules that give our skin elasticity and volume. Sun damage can cause changes in our pigmentation, resulting in splotchy, dark, or light patches, as well as wrinkles.
Repairing and minimizing the visible outcomes of sun damage is what I do. As I’ve written here before, there is an amazing array of advanced technological procedures that can achieve incredible “anti-aging” results.
But here’s the thing:
While I’m able to utilize some treatments that are capable of reducing the development of certain skin cancers or treating actinic keratoses (pre-cancerous lesions), the fact of the matter is that most UV damage can not really be reversed. DNA mutations will not spontaneously repair themselves.
I love being able to “reverse the effects of sun damage,” but I’m also very aware that the deeper, less visible damage generally cannot be reversed – at least for now.
Summer Mantra
So, this summer, I will invoke my usual mantra of sun safety. I’ve written (here before) about the fact that men are at higher risk of succumbing to skin cancers because they think that sunscreen is “for the delicate sex.” Men, please don’t fall for these internal biases!
I invite you all (women and men) to stock up on sunscreen. Then, rather than leaving it in your medicine cabinet to gather dust, I challenge you to use up the entire supply by the end of summer. Smear on a generous dollop on a daily basis, and if you run out, go buy some more!
Here’s to a summer of Healthy and Happy Skin!